My collar experience continues to unfold. I discovered two more good reasons to wear the collar today. First, we had baptizings today (more on that later), and the collar was a lot easier to change in and out of than a tie. Usually I have to take the tie off, change shirts, re-shirt, and then re-tie. The collar changed that.
Second, a good friend of mine who is a local pastor and very respected visited my church tonight with his wife. They were both very complimentary of the the collar. I know other's thoughts should not be our primary concern, but it is nice to be validated by others.
Now on to the "Hey slow down" and baptizing. We baptized two today. Two brothers- one about 13 and the other about 11. If you have never witnessed many Baptist baptizing they are rather quick affairs typically. Into the water, short formula, dunked, out of the water. There may be, in some places, a little more time spent, some testimonies etc, but little exist of the pastor/candidate exchange.
I tried something a little different. After the candidate had entered the water, I asked each of them individually- "______, have you repented of your sins and turned to Christ in saving faith? They then respond. "Is it then your desire to baptized as Christ was in the Jordan River? They respond. Then I used the standard trinitarian formula and dunked them.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A New go at Evening Prayer
A New go at Evening Prayer
As most of you know I’ve experimented with evening prayer at my church on Wednesday nights. There are several reasons why. First, it is a good practice overall I feel to pray more. We have “Wednesday night Prayer Meeting” with no prayer sometimes. With this service we are forced to think about prayer and do prayer intentionally. We pray thanksgivings, we confess our sins, we seek God’s blessing on the sick and infirm, we pray for the lost and the spread of the Gospel.
This service also has scripture readings that go with each themed prayer. The scriptures can be changed every so often.
It closes with my favorite benediction.
Wednesday nights are sometimes unfortunately just a gathering of a handful of the faithful, especially once our youth excuse themselves for their classes. I certainly don’t mind preaching to four or five or ten, but the reality is that I think many times these folks would be just as well served by us spending some time in prayer together as they would in hearing me expound the scriptures for fifteen minutes.
I’ve posted in below.
Evening Prayer Service
Welcome/Hymn
Psalms 95:1-6 Pastor
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Hymn
I John 1:8-10 Pastor
Prayer of Repentance
Hymn
Acts 3:1-8 Pastor
Prayer of Healing for the Sick and Afflicted
Hymn
Mark 16:9-16 Pastor
Prayer for the Lost, Backslidden, and the Spread of the Gospel
Announcements
The Lord bless the, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give the peace. Amen. Num 6:24-27
As most of you know I’ve experimented with evening prayer at my church on Wednesday nights. There are several reasons why. First, it is a good practice overall I feel to pray more. We have “Wednesday night Prayer Meeting” with no prayer sometimes. With this service we are forced to think about prayer and do prayer intentionally. We pray thanksgivings, we confess our sins, we seek God’s blessing on the sick and infirm, we pray for the lost and the spread of the Gospel.
This service also has scripture readings that go with each themed prayer. The scriptures can be changed every so often.
It closes with my favorite benediction.
Wednesday nights are sometimes unfortunately just a gathering of a handful of the faithful, especially once our youth excuse themselves for their classes. I certainly don’t mind preaching to four or five or ten, but the reality is that I think many times these folks would be just as well served by us spending some time in prayer together as they would in hearing me expound the scriptures for fifteen minutes.
I’ve posted in below.
Evening Prayer Service
Welcome/Hymn
Psalms 95:1-6 Pastor
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Hymn
I John 1:8-10 Pastor
Prayer of Repentance
Hymn
Acts 3:1-8 Pastor
Prayer of Healing for the Sick and Afflicted
Hymn
Mark 16:9-16 Pastor
Prayer for the Lost, Backslidden, and the Spread of the Gospel
Announcements
The Lord bless the, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give the peace. Amen. Num 6:24-27
An interesting Sunday
An interesting Sunday
This past Sunday was a very interesting one indeed. It was my wife’s and youngest son’s first time back after church after they both had their tonsils out so we were skipping Sunday School so the youngest one would not be so worn out. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and go visit the early morning 8:30 Episcopal Church service. It is Rite I in the chapel not the main building. Being in the chapel meant there would not be any music but it was a very nice service.
The chapel itself is very impressive with stone walls, dark wood pews and a plethora of stained glass windows. Now I am fully aware that God is not found in such things, but I also admit that I find great beauty in these things. Fault me for if you will.
The chapel was full, it probably seats 100 packed but there were about 50 or so folks at the service. Mostly older with only a handful of teens. Folks were well dressed and the Rector was the celebrant. Or is the right term officiant? Oh well I guess it’s not important.
The TEC uses the Revised Common Lectionary as well so I knew what text the preacher would use that day and he did a really good job.
It lasted about an hour and closed with Holy Communion.
Afterwards I went to my house got the family and headed off to my church. It was Senior Citizen Tea day and the theme was old fashioned which meant that some folks were dressed in overalls and bonnets etc. Make of that what you will. I’m neither here nor there with it.
Anyway, I seized the opportunity of an old fashioned theme to tell the church that we would be celebrating the Lord’s Supper “old fashioned” that day in that we would be having one cup and one plate of bread for the table. Folks would come around and receive the elements. Folks took the bread and dipped it in the cup and returned to their seats. I used a nice simple clay pottery chalice and paten that I had purchased from a lady online in Pennsylvania I think.
It was a nice service.
This past Sunday was a very interesting one indeed. It was my wife’s and youngest son’s first time back after church after they both had their tonsils out so we were skipping Sunday School so the youngest one would not be so worn out. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and go visit the early morning 8:30 Episcopal Church service. It is Rite I in the chapel not the main building. Being in the chapel meant there would not be any music but it was a very nice service.
The chapel itself is very impressive with stone walls, dark wood pews and a plethora of stained glass windows. Now I am fully aware that God is not found in such things, but I also admit that I find great beauty in these things. Fault me for if you will.
The chapel was full, it probably seats 100 packed but there were about 50 or so folks at the service. Mostly older with only a handful of teens. Folks were well dressed and the Rector was the celebrant. Or is the right term officiant? Oh well I guess it’s not important.
The TEC uses the Revised Common Lectionary as well so I knew what text the preacher would use that day and he did a really good job.
It lasted about an hour and closed with Holy Communion.
Afterwards I went to my house got the family and headed off to my church. It was Senior Citizen Tea day and the theme was old fashioned which meant that some folks were dressed in overalls and bonnets etc. Make of that what you will. I’m neither here nor there with it.
Anyway, I seized the opportunity of an old fashioned theme to tell the church that we would be celebrating the Lord’s Supper “old fashioned” that day in that we would be having one cup and one plate of bread for the table. Folks would come around and receive the elements. Folks took the bread and dipped it in the cup and returned to their seats. I used a nice simple clay pottery chalice and paten that I had purchased from a lady online in Pennsylvania I think.
It was a nice service.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Youth
Probably no other group in baptist churches, I speak only of those for I have no experience with any other, is the source of more joy, excitement, and trouble than the youth.
There are really two components to youth. One is bible instruction. Basic stuff. Sunday school stuff. Age segregated bible instruction. The main stories, the big ideas, etc. I'm not sure how long Sunday School has been around, but it has been a while. I am aware that the church for generations managed to survive and pass on the the faith without it, but the idea that a time for the young of the church be they 3 or 15 to have a less formal open discussion time to build their knowledge of the bible is a good idea.
I know there was at one time a lot of debate of whether or not SS was okay, but that argument seems to have been settled in the affirmative.
But the second type of youth instruction is the more program based and the type that is infused with entertainment. Now entertainment is not bad. It's great. I can remember many times having fun as a youth member of a church. I desire it for my on children. But, the glitch that seems to stick with me now is that somehow the program itself is supposed to be the entertainment. Does that make sense? I mean, in my day, and I hate to sound like an old foggie, and hate that phrase, but in my day you had the instruction- then you had the entertainment. They were very rarely ever connected in theme with the exception of the occasional RA camp or such, but the fellowship was separate from the instruction.
In other words, having fun and being a young person was something as seen separate from our discipleship. Discipleship was first then you had the fun.
When the fun becomes the discipleship you run into all sorts of issues. More fun starts to supposedly equal more discipleship which is not always the case. It begins to be assumed by parents and youth alike that discipleship can not be found without having fun. And since something that is fun today is not that fun 3 months from now, then you have to constantly be changing to keep the fun quotient up. Whereas if I have discipleship and fun separated then the discipleship can exist independently of the fun.
I have thought for a long time that one of the reasons that we have a huge generational gap in our churches between early high school and say early 30's with kids, is that once folks get to be semi-adults say in their twenties and they begin to realize that a lot of discipleship is hard work and hard to hear, then the fun disappears and so do they.
I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
There are really two components to youth. One is bible instruction. Basic stuff. Sunday school stuff. Age segregated bible instruction. The main stories, the big ideas, etc. I'm not sure how long Sunday School has been around, but it has been a while. I am aware that the church for generations managed to survive and pass on the the faith without it, but the idea that a time for the young of the church be they 3 or 15 to have a less formal open discussion time to build their knowledge of the bible is a good idea.
I know there was at one time a lot of debate of whether or not SS was okay, but that argument seems to have been settled in the affirmative.
But the second type of youth instruction is the more program based and the type that is infused with entertainment. Now entertainment is not bad. It's great. I can remember many times having fun as a youth member of a church. I desire it for my on children. But, the glitch that seems to stick with me now is that somehow the program itself is supposed to be the entertainment. Does that make sense? I mean, in my day, and I hate to sound like an old foggie, and hate that phrase, but in my day you had the instruction- then you had the entertainment. They were very rarely ever connected in theme with the exception of the occasional RA camp or such, but the fellowship was separate from the instruction.
In other words, having fun and being a young person was something as seen separate from our discipleship. Discipleship was first then you had the fun.
When the fun becomes the discipleship you run into all sorts of issues. More fun starts to supposedly equal more discipleship which is not always the case. It begins to be assumed by parents and youth alike that discipleship can not be found without having fun. And since something that is fun today is not that fun 3 months from now, then you have to constantly be changing to keep the fun quotient up. Whereas if I have discipleship and fun separated then the discipleship can exist independently of the fun.
I have thought for a long time that one of the reasons that we have a huge generational gap in our churches between early high school and say early 30's with kids, is that once folks get to be semi-adults say in their twenties and they begin to realize that a lot of discipleship is hard work and hard to hear, then the fun disappears and so do they.
I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Liturgy
A Liturgy of Word and Table
(The congregation responds with the bold face words)
Gathering
Call to worship*
Minister: In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Amen.
Minister: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you
Prayer of Confession*
Minister: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
All: For the ways we have sinned against you, O God;
for the ways we have hurt those around us;
for the ways we have grieved the Spirit who is within us;
for the good things we have failed to do:
Forgive us, Lord, forgive us.
Minister: Almighty God have mercy upon you; forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen your body, mind and spirit, and keep you close to the heart of God.
All: Amen!
Hymns of Praise
Word
A Reading from the Psalms
“A reading from Psalm…”
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”
Reading from the Old Testament
"A reading from ...."
"The Word of God/Praise be to God"
Reading from the Epistles
"A reading from..."
"The Word of God/Praise be to God"
Sermon
Apostle's Creed*
I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the Virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to Hell.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn of Profession*
(Anyone wishing to publicly profess their faith and come forward as a candidate for baptism may come forward and present themselves to the church at this time.)
Table
Reading from Mathew 26*
Minister: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Pastoral Prayer*
Minister: Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
Partaking of the elements**
(Congregants may come forward and receive the bread and cup by either drinking from the cup or by intinction then return to their seats standing)
Lord’s Prayer*
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heavenGive us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
Sending
Hymn*
Prayer needs of the People*
Benediction*
Prayer by the minster followed with the below…
Minister: And so now, each may say:
All: I rise up clothed in the strength of Christ.
I shall not be imprisoned. I shall not be harmed.
I shall not be downtrodden. I shall not be left alone.
I shall not be tainted. I shall not be overwhelmed.
I go clothed in Christ’s white garments.
I go freed to weave Christ’s patterns.
I go loved to serve Christ’s weak ones.
Minister: The shield of God go before you:
the love of God to enfold you;
the peace of God to still you;
the Spirit of God to fill you;
the saints of God to inspire you.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest
upon you and shine out through you, this hour, this night, forever Amen.
Minister: Go forth in the Name of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God.
*All able please stand
**Any baptized Christian who is not living in open and rebellious sin and wishes to receive communion may come forward and take of the cup and bread separately or by dipping the bread in the cup (intinction).
(The congregation responds with the bold face words)
Gathering
Call to worship*
Minister: In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Amen.
Minister: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you
Prayer of Confession*
Minister: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
All: For the ways we have sinned against you, O God;
for the ways we have hurt those around us;
for the ways we have grieved the Spirit who is within us;
for the good things we have failed to do:
Forgive us, Lord, forgive us.
Minister: Almighty God have mercy upon you; forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen your body, mind and spirit, and keep you close to the heart of God.
All: Amen!
Hymns of Praise
Word
A Reading from the Psalms
“A reading from Psalm…”
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”
Reading from the Old Testament
"A reading from ...."
"The Word of God/Praise be to God"
Reading from the Epistles
"A reading from..."
"The Word of God/Praise be to God"
Sermon
Apostle's Creed*
I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spiritand born of the Virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to Hell.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn of Profession*
(Anyone wishing to publicly profess their faith and come forward as a candidate for baptism may come forward and present themselves to the church at this time.)
Table
Reading from Mathew 26*
Minister: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Pastoral Prayer*
Minister: Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
Partaking of the elements**
(Congregants may come forward and receive the bread and cup by either drinking from the cup or by intinction then return to their seats standing)
Lord’s Prayer*
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heavenGive us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
Sending
Hymn*
Prayer needs of the People*
Benediction*
Prayer by the minster followed with the below…
Minister: And so now, each may say:
All: I rise up clothed in the strength of Christ.
I shall not be imprisoned. I shall not be harmed.
I shall not be downtrodden. I shall not be left alone.
I shall not be tainted. I shall not be overwhelmed.
I go clothed in Christ’s white garments.
I go freed to weave Christ’s patterns.
I go loved to serve Christ’s weak ones.
Minister: The shield of God go before you:
the love of God to enfold you;
the peace of God to still you;
the Spirit of God to fill you;
the saints of God to inspire you.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest
upon you and shine out through you, this hour, this night, forever Amen.
Minister: Go forth in the Name of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God.
*All able please stand
**Any baptized Christian who is not living in open and rebellious sin and wishes to receive communion may come forward and take of the cup and bread separately or by dipping the bread in the cup (intinction).
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A thought on Hell
I preached recently on the torments of Hell. Specifically the torments we see evidenced in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus. I find it interesting that the bulk majority of the world has no problem believing in a Heaven, a place of contentment and blessing, however they may believe one gets there, but a lot of folks do not want to see the other side of the coin. That there is a very real place, mentioned many times by Christ himself called Hell.
Now the scriptures teach that at the judgement that death and hell will be gathered up and cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.
There are a lot of horrible physical elements to think about when one contemplates the torments of hell. There are many psychological torments as well, but I feel the one we over look, and in fact the one I've always overlooked, is the spiritual torment of being forever separated from even the peripheral presence of God's blessing.
For the bible says that even now the lost have certain privileges just by living in a world that is under the divine providential hand of God. But in hell there will be a total separation. And with even that peripheral separation truncated, it is feasible to believe that whatever residual providence prevented the lost from being given totally to spiritual wickedness and darkness in this present age will be gone in the hereafter. So in hell you have a soul a person given totally to their wickedness, not able to enjoy the pleasures that even the bible say exist in sin for short season, but they will have the accompanying spiritual hollowness and void that comes with sin.
Now the scriptures teach that at the judgement that death and hell will be gathered up and cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.
There are a lot of horrible physical elements to think about when one contemplates the torments of hell. There are many psychological torments as well, but I feel the one we over look, and in fact the one I've always overlooked, is the spiritual torment of being forever separated from even the peripheral presence of God's blessing.
For the bible says that even now the lost have certain privileges just by living in a world that is under the divine providential hand of God. But in hell there will be a total separation. And with even that peripheral separation truncated, it is feasible to believe that whatever residual providence prevented the lost from being given totally to spiritual wickedness and darkness in this present age will be gone in the hereafter. So in hell you have a soul a person given totally to their wickedness, not able to enjoy the pleasures that even the bible say exist in sin for short season, but they will have the accompanying spiritual hollowness and void that comes with sin.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"The poor have the gospel preached unto them"
The importance of the gospel being brought to the poor of society was a very important occurrence in the New Testament. We see the phrase or the sentiment of the phrase spoken in words and actions in several places.
I'm obviously no first century Jewish cultural scholar but it appears that as was the case in Western Civilization for many centuries that power, prestige, and money brought with it certain privileges as it pertained to getting an audience with the best religious thinkers of the day.
In fact, for hundreds of years in Western Civilization itself theologians, especially after the monasteries were diminished after the Reformation, were in many places and at many times like artist, sculptors, or writers.
They studied, presented, and preached in courts and churches up kept by the wealthy of the day. In this sort of system one can easily see the dangers and pitfalls that might arise where the poor of the culture would be excluded.
Today it appears otherwise. I wonder how the other half lives. It's a thought that hit me while I was eating with the family on broad street in our town this past week. We were surprised by the crowd. It was the inaugural pub crawl downtown. Basically, folks with a lot of time on their hands for a weeknight could spend a couple of hours going form restaurant to restaurant sampling beers and food.
Now everyone involved in this was certainly not wealthy ,but the majority of the folks I saw, a bunch of community leader types and chamber folks, were. It just brought a thought to mind of "how the other half lives."
Now, I want my point to be clear here. I'm not wondering about this b/c they were at a pub crawl. Alcohol and whether or not it is sinful and if it is to what degree is it sinful, are not the point of this post. I was just moved by the sight of a lot folks dressed pretty well for a weeknight out enjoying a night of leisure to consider how they live. And this post is not a commentary on material wealth. Many folks work hard for their wealth, some work too hard no doubt to the detriment of their families, but many spent a lot of time and energy to get a degree somewhat more valuable than Middle Grades Education, good for them. I don't fault them at all. Some came into their money by family and connections. Again, not my concern, but I'm still curious. Do they hear the same gospel at their churches that I do? Or has a simple gospel become too "common" for the upper crust of our society?
I'm not sure, but many of the churches that I have either listened to online or been to in person that draw this type of crowd seem somewhat lacking in their devotion to the gospel.
So, how do we reach this group? How is ministry done amongst them? We know all about ministering to the needy, we have studied it, strategized it, and programed it. (whether good or bad is up to debate) But we have at least acknowledged it.
But how do we reach this group, older retired professionals, child bearing aged professionals that are highly educated, turned off by over emotional situations, and even younger hipper singles out of college, but still very socially active?
I don't know, but if you have thoughts do share them.
Austin+
I'm obviously no first century Jewish cultural scholar but it appears that as was the case in Western Civilization for many centuries that power, prestige, and money brought with it certain privileges as it pertained to getting an audience with the best religious thinkers of the day.
In fact, for hundreds of years in Western Civilization itself theologians, especially after the monasteries were diminished after the Reformation, were in many places and at many times like artist, sculptors, or writers.
They studied, presented, and preached in courts and churches up kept by the wealthy of the day. In this sort of system one can easily see the dangers and pitfalls that might arise where the poor of the culture would be excluded.
Today it appears otherwise. I wonder how the other half lives. It's a thought that hit me while I was eating with the family on broad street in our town this past week. We were surprised by the crowd. It was the inaugural pub crawl downtown. Basically, folks with a lot of time on their hands for a weeknight could spend a couple of hours going form restaurant to restaurant sampling beers and food.
Now everyone involved in this was certainly not wealthy ,but the majority of the folks I saw, a bunch of community leader types and chamber folks, were. It just brought a thought to mind of "how the other half lives."
Now, I want my point to be clear here. I'm not wondering about this b/c they were at a pub crawl. Alcohol and whether or not it is sinful and if it is to what degree is it sinful, are not the point of this post. I was just moved by the sight of a lot folks dressed pretty well for a weeknight out enjoying a night of leisure to consider how they live. And this post is not a commentary on material wealth. Many folks work hard for their wealth, some work too hard no doubt to the detriment of their families, but many spent a lot of time and energy to get a degree somewhat more valuable than Middle Grades Education, good for them. I don't fault them at all. Some came into their money by family and connections. Again, not my concern, but I'm still curious. Do they hear the same gospel at their churches that I do? Or has a simple gospel become too "common" for the upper crust of our society?
I'm not sure, but many of the churches that I have either listened to online or been to in person that draw this type of crowd seem somewhat lacking in their devotion to the gospel.
So, how do we reach this group? How is ministry done amongst them? We know all about ministering to the needy, we have studied it, strategized it, and programed it. (whether good or bad is up to debate) But we have at least acknowledged it.
But how do we reach this group, older retired professionals, child bearing aged professionals that are highly educated, turned off by over emotional situations, and even younger hipper singles out of college, but still very socially active?
I don't know, but if you have thoughts do share them.
Austin+
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